Sunday Best: Feb. 28, 2016

So a lot of my friends are engineers, and they went on a ski/snowboard trip with Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) this weekend. Last minute, I felt the need to get out of the city (it happens every once in awhile) and join them. I packed a duffel, and hit the road as soon as I finished work on Friday to make the 3 hour drive up.

It’s the best decision I’ve made in awhile.

Fresh mountain air, hot tubbing and, in general, just spending quality time with quality people, were all checked off the list this weekend. It also brought back good memories of U of C Ski Club trips from back in the day—aside from Revelstoke, Kicking Horse holds some of the best times I’ve had with the club. A few of my favourites: Ninjas vs. Pirates (one of my favourite bus themes ever), good times at Rockwater Grill, dealing with some members that caused $10,000 in damage, an unsurprising ban from said hotel, and getting a black eye on the pool slide.

(Don’t judge me, okay? It was university.)

Anyways, I really needed this trip—even if I didn’t know it—and I’m so glad I went. I think I was getting a little bogged down with everyday life, and this trip just gave me a new appreciation for everything I have. Also, you know when you meet someone for the first time and it’s just like, “Hey, where have you been this whole time?” It feels like you’ve known them forever and yet, at the same time, like it’s weird that you haven’t met earlier. It’s just always a nice feeling when you know you’re really going to get along with somebody.

Tune of the week: Private Island – Drugs.

I listen to nearly every genre, but it’s the indie-alternative stuff that really gets me going. Imagine: just a hint of old school Adam Levine-esque vocals over some sensual synths and guitar riffs. It’s got one of those melodies that make me marvel at how people can create such amazing sounds from nothing.

Connected, a short film by Luke Gilford.

Connected premiered on February 8th, starring Pamela Anderson in the 10-minute sci-fi short about a dystopian universe where technology and youth reign above all. It’s a little bit creepy (perhaps because some parts aren’t too far off from our present day lifestyle?) and shows a little-seen side of the infamous buxom blonde. While the ending leaves a little to be desired, it fulfills its purpose in making you think a little harder about the blurred lines that separate fantasy from our reality.

If you liked the general concept of Connected, I highly recommend checking out the British anthology series called Black Mirror. If you can handle some dark satire, the show “examines modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies” (Wikipedia). In other words, imagine taking the minor issues we have today when it comes to technology (i.e. checking our phones too much) and see what would happen if that technology was to advance—thus multiplying these minor issues. Think jealousy issues stemming from implanted memory chips, and how one might become dangerously overdependent on virtual reality…

It’s scary because the acting and writing are both very well-done, expertly weaving believable human behaviour with scenarios that are just a step out of the realm of possibility. You can almost see just how easily these stories could unfold in a not-too-distant future.

And I don’t know how I feel about it. To be fair, I haven’t seen all of the other movies/contenders in the “Best Actor” category, so I can’t quite confirm that it was undeserved. However, despite his illustrious career and the fact that he is, undeniably, a remarkably talented actor, I don’t know if his performance in The Revenant was Oscar-worthy. And this is coming from someone who loves his movies.

Below is an excerpt from a humorous take on why he didn’t deserve it. Full read here.

Unfortunately, what follows the bear is incredibly dull. It’s a man dragging himself home from work, a protracted two-hour version of the Lemmon drug phase scene from The Wolf of Wall Street.

That said, at least we’ll no longer have to deal with speculation about whether or not he’ll win one from now on.